The invention relates to a method for controlling the initiation sensitivity of a vehicle automatic braking procedure based on actuation speed of the vehicle brake pedal otherwise known as panic braking.
For example, German patent application DE 43 25 940 C1, which is not a prior publication, discloses a process which reduces the threshold value for the initiation of automatic braking as a function of the distance traversed by the brake pedal. For this purpose, a fixed specified initiation threshold value S is multiplied by a factor which is determined from a characteristic diagram.
German patent document DE 40 28 290 C1 discloses a basic automatic braking procedure in which a brake pressure greater than that corresponding to the position of the brake pedal is generated.
In emergency situations, the driver may react correctly at first and actuate the brake energetically, initiating the basic automatic braking procedure. It often happens, however, due to shock at the energetic reaction of the vehicle or due to an erroneous estimate of the situation, that the correct initial reaction is followed briefly by an at least partial release of the brake or by a partial braking position being retained, which can lead to the satisfaction of an interruption criterion for the automatic braking procedure according to the prior art. Under certain circumstances, renewed brake pedal actuation after automatic braking is thus terminated does not then reliably lead to renewed initiation of the automatic braking procedure.
The object of the present invention is to ensure, in such situations, that the automatic braking process is initiated rapidly and reliably upon renewed actuation of the brake pedal.
The object is achieved according to the invention by reducing the initiation threshold value for the automatic braking process during a time period after the satisfaction of the interruption criterion.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.